Jet Airways asked to explain lapse in safety checks

India’s aviation safety regulator has asked Jet Airways to explain discrepancies in the airline’s records that allegedly show that a senior pilot was allowed to operate flights without undergoing mandatory safety checks.

India’s aviation safety regulator has asked Jet Airways to explain discrepancies in the airline’s records that allegedly show that a senior pilot was allowed to operate flights without undergoing mandatory safety checks.

Earlier this week, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) issued a show cause notice to the airline acting on a complaint filed by the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC), a panel of independent air safety experts appointed by the civil aviation ministry after the Air India Express crash in Mangalore in 2010 that killed 158 people.

“We have asked the airline to explain the contradictions in the pilots’ logbook. Appropriate action would be taken,” said Arun Mishra, director general, DGCA.

According to the CASAC’s complaint, captain PP Singh, a management pilot, has been flying without clearing his proficiency checks, which are mandatory every six months to assess a pilot’s proficiency in the kind of aircraft he or she operates.

The complaint also alleged the airline had fudged logbook entries to protect the pilot. Although the matter was first reported to the regulator’s office in April this year, the previous DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan did not take any action in the matter. “If the pilot has failed to clear his proficiency checks, his licence is not valid. This means that captain PP Singh has been operating flights without a valid licence,” said captain Mohan Ranganathan, a member of CASAC.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said: “When we receive any DGCA query, Jet Airways investigates the matter. The findings are shared with the concerned regulatory authorities. The airline then complies with the directives and recommendations of the authorities." He, however, did not comment on the particular case under investigation.